| Original caption: “After the Marines captured this mountain gun from the Japanese at Saipan, they put it into use during the attack on Garapan, the administrative center of the island.” Original caption: “Marines who look like Leathernecks – bronzed and sturdy – fire a captured Jap[anese] mountain gun into Jap[anese] lines during the attack on Garapan, administrative center of Saipan Island. It’s a small field piece but noisy.” Original caption: “A little sport in the midst of war. Marines fire an enemy “pea-shooter” — a captured Jap[anese] mountain gun–and put on a burlesque of a big gun crew in action.” 4 United States Marines operate a Type 92 70 millimeter (2.75 inch) Battalion Gun. The syndication of this photo, accompanied by whimsical captions, concealed the acute ammunition shortages that plagued both Army and Marine divisions on Saipan. Even though this gun functioned more like a mortar at high angles, the Marines pressed it into service as they lacked ammunition for their own guns, and this was available at a critical time in the attack on Garapan. The distance to haul ammunition, which had to be carried by hand due to the muddy ground, for over a mile (half a kilometer), was also a factor in employing this weapon by the Marines. Introduced in 1932, the Type 92 was a clever and versatile weapon. This miniature artillery piece could fire in direct-fire mode within its low-elevation range and with plunging fire, similar to a mortar, in its high-elevation range. Compared to a medium mortar, it had the advantage of delivering accurate and effective direct fire against point targets. On the other hand, compared to the same mortar, it was considerably heavier and more demanding in terms of manufacturing assets. It had a slower rate of fire with shells containing less explosive. They played a crucial role in the initial Japanese operations in China and the Pacific. Even by 1940, however, doubts about its utility relative to its cost had begun to surface. By April 1941, the Osaka Arsenal, the sole producer of both weapons, was producing only 20 Type 92s compared to 131 millimeter (3.1 inch) Type 97 mortars per month. Nevertheless, the large numbers already made, the fact that it was never entirely taken out of production, and its limited utility as an anti-tank weapon once the High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) round was introduced meant that it remained in frontline service to the end of the war. The Imperial Japanese Army provided 27,070 millimeter (2.75 inch) shells for a 20-day daily engagement over 4 months of combat, based on experience with Chinese and Soviet forces. However, American troops had far more supplies, and this unit of fire was inadequate. Marine Photographer Angus J. Robertson (July 29, 1918 – November 6, 1991) enlisted on December 14, 1941. Serving with the Marine public relations office, he was wounded during the Battle of Tarawa. Robertson was honorably discharged on September 12, 1945. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1508.jpg |
| Image Size | 638.71 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2924 x 2312 |
| Photographer | Angus J. Robertson |
| Photographer Title | United States Marine Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | July 1, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Garapan |
| State or Province | Saipan |
| Country | Marianas |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-127-GR-114(83270) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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